Automobile direction-indicator.



z KEOUGHK AUTOMOBILE DiHECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICAUQN FiLED DEC.8,19i3.

Paiemed 31123 2? 1915.

ATTORNEY ZACH ABIA H KEOUGH, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

' AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION -IN DICATOR.

cating the direction it is intended the automobile shall take, which means will be responsive to electric actuatingdevices under the control of the operator of the automobile.

In'accordance with the present invention there is provided a device having a normal tendency to maintain a neutral position indicative of the straight-ahead travel of the automobile.- Means are also provided for actuating the indicating device to either side in a manner to indicate the intended deviation of the travel of the vehicle, and such means is electricallycontrolled by electrical devices in turn controlled by a switch device which may be located within easy reach of the operator of the vehicle.

"The present invention is particularly useful in connection with the automobile direction indicator illustrated in application No. 787,932, filed by me p 1913, wherein there is shown a mechanically controlled indicating device preferably of arrow shape and arranged to be turned to point in one direction or the other, as desired, to show the intended course of the vehicle, the arrow indicator being provided with head and feather lights of appropriate color, so that the indicator may be useful at night when the shape of the arrow is invisible, as well -as in" daylight when the lights are not employed, but dependence is had upon the shape of the indicator for showing the intended direction of travel. 1

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following de tailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a vpractical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changesancl modifications mark no material Specification of LCttCI'S Patent.

on September 3,

Patented July 27, 1915.

Application filed Decembcr'S, 1913. Serial No. 805,354.

departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the dra\vings:-Figure l is a side elevation of an automobile with the improved direction indicator installed, the electric circuits being shown diagrammatically. Fig.

2 is a plan view with some parts in section I.

cator. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through one of the solenoids and its core, employed in connection with the indicator and showing one position of the parts. 4 is a view partly inplan and partly in section of the structure of Fig. 3 but showing another position of the parts.

Referring to, the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 an automobile 1 which may be considered as typical of any suitable automobile and detail description thereof is unnecessary. Mounted upon .the front and rear wheel guards 2 and 3, respectively, of the automobile is a base plate 4 having oppositely directed side extensions 5, while at one end intermediate of the 'eXtensions 5- there is an upstanding post 6 terminating in a bearing 7 for a shaft 8 which maybe considered as stepped in the plate 4, and at the upper end 9 shown as shaped like an arrow with lenses 10 at the respective head and tail ends, which lenses are assumed to be backedup by electric lamps for showing lights at night, and the lenses 10 may be of appropriate colors, say, red and green, the red being located in the head of the arrow and the green in the tail end of the arrow, thus apprising a; person upon whom vancing, or one following the vehicle that it is about ,to turn in the direction indicated' by the red light, or,'in day time; by the head of the arrow. The arrow is to be of the electric actuating devices for the indi- Fig.

the vehicle is adcarries a direction indicator I taken as typical of any suitable direction ,i

in the longitudinal center line of the vehicle I instead ofat' one side thereof. These are.

matters which may be left to'the choice of the manufactureror owner'of the vehicle.

its

Carried by the side extensions 5 are sole noids 11, 12, respectively, the two solenoids being in alinement and each provided with an axial sleeve 13 projecting at the ends beyond the respective heads of the solenoid,-

and at one end the sleeve'is freely open, while at the other end it is provided w th a closure 14 which may be integral with the sleeve, and through this closure is a small v at all times the core will remain in both close relation.

sleeves.

At an intermediate point of the core there is secured thereto an arm 18 extending trans versely of the core. At one end the arm carries a rack 19 in mesh with a pinion 20 on the shaft 8, while at the other end the arm is formed. into a fork 21, the two branches of which are curved so as to present the convex surfaces one toward the other in relatively Entering the fork between its branches is the free end of a spring 22 and the other end of the spring isfixedly secured to a post 23 rising from that end of the base plate 4 remote from the post or standard 6. The spring 22 is so arranged as to tend constantly to maintain the arm 18, and therefore the core 17, in a centralized position. The rack 19 and pinion 20 are so related that when the arm 18 and core 17 are in the centralized position, the indicator 9 points straight ahead, and this is the neutral position of the arm-in which it is normally held by the spring and to which. the arm returns after having been moved from the neutral position and. then released to the action of the spring.

In each end of the tubular core 17 there is lodged a plug 24, the showing of Fig. 3'

where a single plug is shown, being indicative of either end of the core. Axially through the plug 24 there is formed a passage 25 and what constitutes the outer end of this passage is formed into a valve seat for a valve 26 having a stem 27 extending I through the passage 25 into the interior of the core 17 and there surrounded by a light spring 28 tending to hold the valve in the closed position. 7

Automobiles are customarily provided with a battery indicated at 29 in Fig. 2, and usually inclosed in a box 30 as indicated in Fig. 1. From one side of the battery there is carried a conductor 31 to the arm of a switch 32 which may be of the double-throw type with contacts 33, 34. The contact 33 is connected by a conductor 35 to one side of a solenoid 11 and the Contact 34 is connectedby a conductor 36 t one side of the' solen'oid 12, and the other s de of the solenoid 12 is connected by a conductor 37 to the other side of the battery 29. That side ofthe solenoid 12 remote from the connection with the conductor 35 is connected by a conductor, 38 to the side of the battery remote from that connected to the arm of the switch 32. The circuit connections described have been confined to the indicator at one end of the vehicle, but it will be understood that the several conductors 36 to 38 are carried to the indicator at the other end of the vehicle, the arrangement being such that when the switch is moved on to, say, the contact 33,

the solenoids 11 at the two ends of the vehicle on the same side of the vehicle are energized, while when the switch arm is moved onto the contact 34 the solenoids 12 of the indicators at the front and rear of the machine are energized. The interior of the core 17 is in constant communication. with the atmosphere at some point between its ends, which point may be a midpoint, by a passage 39.

When the parts are rest with the indicators pointing straight ahead, the core 17 is so located that its ends are related to the corresponding passages 16,- so that there is 'free atmospheric connection withthe chambers formed between these ends and the closed ends 14 of the sleeves 13. Suppose that the arm of the switch 32 is moved on to the contact 34, then the solenoid 12 at each endof the vehicle is energized, while the solenoidll at each end of the vehicle remains dead. The core 17 is by the energizetion of the solenoid 12 caused to move into the solenoid and at once closes the passage 16. The valve 26 being normally closed by the spring 28 prevents escape of air trapped between the passage 16 and the closed end 14. of the sleeve 13 through the passage 25 into the interior of the core, whereupon the air so trapped becomes compressed by the continued movement of the core and acts as an air cushion, the pressure being slowly relieved by escape of air through the small assage 15, after the manner of a dash pot. he two indicators are, therefore, turned slowly to the desiredpposition to show to observers the intended course of the vehicle. Now when, the circuit at the switch 32 is broken the spring 22 which has been put under tension by the active solenoid, causes the return ofthe core 1.7 to its central or neutral position, and this action is not materially retarded by the air since the valve 26 readily opens to permit the free flow of air from the interior of the core into the chamber between the respective end of the core and the closed end of thesleeve 13, but the return of the core 17 to its neutral position may be slightly retarded by the valve 26 'so that thereturn of the arrow to its neutral'position may be at a relatively slow speed and thereby preventing it from overriding the neutral position.

If it be considered that the arrow is turned in the opposite direction tothat first considered, there is no resistance to the movement of the core 17 at the end remote from the one acted upon by the energized solenoid because of the presence of the pas. sage 16, nor is therev any dash pot action at the inactive end of the core when the core is returned to the neutral position, for the air in front'of the core finds ready escape through the then open passage 16. The electrically operated actua-tin means for the indicators in no wise, inter eres with the operation of the electric lamps which it is assumed are installed in the arrow in the manner described in the aforesaid applicatiOll. I 1:; I

With the invention of the present applicatipn installed in an automobile, the opera tor hasbut to move the switch to one side or the other with so'little effort as to be unnoticeable, and as an electric switch may be installed almost anywhere it may beso-situated that the operator-can move it with a .single finger without removing the,,hand

from thevsteering wheelh In Fig. 1 the switch 32 is shown as without support, but

it will be understood that in an automobile it is installed wherever found most conven- An audible signal such as an electric hell or buzzer or the like indicated at-38 in Fig. 2 may be provided so as to sound when the direction signal is set, to thereby call at tention thereto. Many automobiles are equipped with-an electrically operated alarm device and such device may be operated by the movement of the switch arm 32 to either active position to then close the main circuit of such alarm device by way of a branch 39 led off of such main circuit and provided with spaced contacts 40 in the path of the switch arm What ls-clair'ned is 1.. In a direction indicator for automobiles, electric means for perating the same "comprising oppositely disposed solenoids each formed with an axial guiding sleeve in alinement with that of the other and having one end freely open and the-other end closed except for a small opening, a hollow core common to the solenoids and entering the freely open ends of the sleeves, said core being provided with valved passages atQthc ends, and spring means acting on the core to normally hold it in a centralized position and yieldable to movements of the core,

.each sleeve being provided with an opening communicating with the atmosphere at a point adjacent to the corresponding end of the core when the latter is in the neutral position. p

2. In a direction indicator for automobiles, electric means for operating the same comprising oppositely disposed solenoids each formed with an axial guiding sleeve in'alinement with that of the other and having one end freely open and the other end closed except for a small opening, a hollow core common to the solenoids and entering the freely open ends of the sleeves, said core being provided with valved passages at the ends, and spring means acting on the core to normally hold it in a centralized position sleeve being provided with an opening coramunicating with the atmosphere at a point adjacent to the corresponding end of the core when the latter is in the neutral position, and the hollow core being also pro-. vided with a free opening to the atmosphere.

3. In a' direction indicator for automo biles, an operating structure therefor comand yieldable to movements of the core, each v l movements of the core, said connections including an arm with a forked end, and a spring mounted at one end on the base plate arid at the other end lodged in the fork of the arm.

4. In a direction indicator for autom'obiles, oppositely disposed alined solenoids each provided with an axial sleeve havin one end freely open and the other end close except for a small passage, each sleeve having an intermediatelylocatedpassage open to the atmosphere, a hollow core havin its ends entering the freely open ends 0 the' sleeves and reciprocable between the solenoids, said core being of a length substantially equal to the distance between the intermediate openings of the alined sleeves, and also provided with one way valves at the ends and with an intermediate openingto the atmosphere, and yieldable means constraining the solenoids to a centralized or neutral pdsition.

5. In a direction indicator for automo' biles, means for operating the indicator comprising alined solenoids with a core common to both, each solenoid having a sleeve surrounding the core with the end remote from that entered by the core pmcircuit, connections for the energization of vlded Wxth a restracied opening to the atanther core and the, (leiinerglzatlon of both mosphm'e and at an lntcrmedmte 'pomi; pr0- at W111.

vided with a l'lativgly free npening to the In testimony, that I claim the foregning 15 5 atmosphere in the path of the core to be as my own, I have hereto, afl'ixcd my signaopcned and (:hwed *hensby, Sam cme bumg ture m the presence of two witnesses.

v v' a .i '6 11h "1 a 11,)1-10} 1th (L 0])(1 1 1* the (11515 entermg the respectlve solenoids and Wluh free mmmunzcatlon from 19; mtenor to the Wltnesssz 10 utnmsphm-e, means constrummg the core to Emma JAMES BLAKESLEE,

a central or neutral position, and electric LM'nmL STEWART BLJLESLEE. 

